


At The Bottom Of Everything

by hereismyvoid



Category: Degrassi
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-14 07:39:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7160399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hereismyvoid/pseuds/hereismyvoid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When their lives are turned upside down, Maya and Zig begin to find comfort in each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. At The Bottom Of Everything

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: WARNING: This story definitely qualifies as a spoiler if you haven't watched 15b/season 2 of Next Class. I was inspired by the absolutely insane season finale. This takes off where that episode left off. Thanks for reading, and feedback is always appreciated!

Zig Novak's heart raced as he stared up at the tiled ceiling above him, tracing over its subtle cracks with his eyes. He searched desperately, hoping to find some kind of solace as the fluorescent lighting beamed against his skin. He couldn't believe he was breathing; that somehow, he survived.

It all came in flashes. It was as if the entire accident played on repeat, and as much as he tried, he couldn't muster the courage to hit pause. He remembered the laughter, the unparalleled happiness of being reunited with his once dismantled friend group. He could still hear her laugh. He missed it. Then, as quickly as he could recall it, it was thrust away. In its place came blood curdling screams and a pain that made his entire body fall numb. Then the panic set in, and his mind went blank.

His mother said he was in shock. He thought he was going crazy. Amidst all the chaos, the paramedics said he could only say one thing: her name; over and over again. It wasn't until he physically reached the hospital bed that he was able to become somewhat coherent. Even then, the pressure in his chest made him feel as though he had to choke to get the words out.

"Maya! Is she ok? Maya Matlin? Do you know? She was sitting in the seat across from me," he had spit out the words so fast that they were almost incomprehensible. He struggled to find his breath, "she's blonde, small, blue eyes…" he practically muttered, still heaving slightly between every word. He could barely feel the hands examining his body.

"I'm sorry, I told you a few times now. There are about 20 kids here right now, all from the same crash as you. We don't have that kind of information to give out. Everyone's just as panicked."

"Please just tell me what you know," he spat out, tears escaping his eyes. The woman looked down at him, her expression softening as she took in his panicked state.

"I'm sorry," she breathed, "that's all I know."

He couldn't remember what happened after that conversation, but a cast and an abundance of stitches later, he was still panicking. He was distracted from his thoughts when he heard the door open. Assuming it was his mother he continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Ma I really-" When he finally looked down his heart stopped. "Maya," he breathed. As happy as he was to see her, he couldn't help but feel his heart break as he took in her appearance. Scrapes and bruises covered almost every visible inch of her body. A cast was encased around her wrist, and he noticed a small splint around her foot. Her eyes looked swollen as she sniffled back tears.

"You're alive," she practically spat out.

He nodded in response, "I am."

"I was so worried...I thought- I thought-," she burst into tears, practically running to his bedside.

He felt his own eyes start to water, "Me too." He cringed slightly as a sharp pain took over when she moved to wrap her arms around him.

She pulled away, wincing slightly. "Oh god, sorry!"

"It's ok, I'm just sore. I'm surprised you can run with that thing," he joked, gesturing to the device around her foot.

"It's only a minor sprain," she sniffled.

"And your wrist?" He could tell she was in pain by the way she shuttered with nearly every step, and how her face contorted as she pulled away from him. She was trying to put on a brave face, but he could see through her.

"Broken."

He nodded, "How're Grace and Tiny?" He felt like he had to hold in his breath as he waited for a response.

"They're ok. Grace hurt her foot and I think Tiny broke his arm, they just left actually."

He let out a sharp breath, "Thank God. Where's your mom?"

"Stuck in traffic. She's freaking out."

He nodded. "You can sit if you want," he spoke, motioning towards the chair in the corner.

She stared down at her feet, shifting slightly, "I-uh rather stand next to you right now."

"I really don't think you should be standing with your foot..."

"Please Zig," she nearly choked out as her eyes quickly welled with tears. "I really don't want to be away from you right now. I can handle my foot. Please."

His heart was breaking, "Then sit next to me," he patted the small space on the side of the bed. "I uh mean if you're comfortable with that…"

"I am." She walked to the other side to sit down. He moved over the most he could, as his leg was elevated. She layed down on the space next to him.

"How'd you know where I was?"

"I saw your mom...I didn't know you're back at her house?"

"Ugh yeah, she let me back in."

"That's really nice. I'm happy for you." Silence quickly filled the room.

"Maya?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad you're ok. I don't know...I don't know what I would have done."

She moved her hand over his and lightly squeezed it. "Me too."

The pair sat in comfortable silence, enjoying a moment they never thought they'd be able to have again. Zig knew that they had a long road ahead of them, but he didn't care. They were alive, and she wanted to be in his life again. Nothing else mattered. Both were quickly interrupted from their thoughts when Maya's phone went off. She slowly removed her hand from his grasp.

"It's my mom, she's here to pick me up. Are you going home tonight?"

"Uh yeah. My mom's picking my brother up and then she's gonna get me."

"Well I invited Grace and Tiny to stay the night. None of us really want to be alone after...everything. You're more than welcome to come."

"You sure your mom will be ok with that?"

"I think she'll understand...seriously, come."

"O-ok."

"Good." Maya smiled. She began to walk away, when she suddenly stopped. Her expression was serious as she turned around, "Zig?"

"Yeah?"

"We almost died today." The words hung in the air before either knew what to say.

"Yeah...we almost did." Zig said softly.

She let out a deep breath, "We're gonna be ok," she spoke, forcing a small smile as she turned around. "I know we are."

Zig knew she wasn't just saying that to comfort him.


	2. After The Storm

It was difficult being in a car after the bus crash. Every time her mother stopped, Maya would find herself clutching the door desperately with her free hand. Her breath grew short, her body tense, and with every turn, her heart felt as though it was about to be ripped from her chest. She didn't know if she'd ever feel normal again. It had only been a couple hours, and she was already sick of the aftermath.

Margaret Matlin moved her hand over to the girl's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. She was heartbroken.

"I'm so sorry Maya. I-I should've drove you to the game, I..."

"Mom, you did nothing wrong. How were you supposed to know?"

"I was so worried Maya, when I got the call, I...God, I don't even want to think about it. I shouldn't have visited your Grandma today. I should have been in that room when they were looking after you, I feel just so awful."

"Don't Mom, I'm ok. It's not your fault."

She let out a deep breath, "How're your friends doing?"

"They're as good as they're going to be I think. Zig, he...he looked the most messed up out of everyone."

Her mother's body tensed slightly at the boy's name, "So you're talking again?"

Maya could sense her frustration, "Almost dying kind of changes your outlook on things." she grumbled.

"Maya look, I just...I don't want you to get hurt again."

She responded sharply, "More hurt than I've already been?"

"Honey, you know what I mean…"

"Did you know that he's the one that pulled me out? He's the reason I got out in time- the reason I'm alive right now. The guy broke his leg in the process!" She exhaled, "I know he cheated on me and we're not together anymore, but what happened today...it's bigger than us. He saved my life, mom." Her eyes began to well with tears, "I thought I lost him."

The woman waited a moment before she spoke, "Maya I...I'm sorry. That was really brave of him."

"It was."

"Well...thank him for me."

"Actually mom...I was thinking you could do that yourself...tonight."

"Tonight? Maya I don't think…"

"Please Mom."

She sighed, "Alright, but no going up to your room, and everyone sleeps downstairs...where I can see you."

"Thank you Mom, we'll be complete angels, I swear."

"You're welcome," she let out out a deep breath, "I'm doing this for you Maya."

"And I really appreciate it," she smiled.

Maya was sitting on her couch when she heard a knock on the door. She slowly lifted herself up, wincing slightly as her foot reached the ground.

"Coming!" she yelled, gradually making her way to the door. Carefully, she opened it.

"Jeez took you long enough. What did you do, hop over here?" Grace teased, gesturing to the blonde's foot.

"I can walk just fine, thank you very much, and that's rich coming from the girl leaning pretty heavily on those two crutches."

"Shut it blondie, are you gonna let me in or not?"

She chuckled in response, "Fine."

Grace carefully made her way inside, "I'm just going to warn you, my mom is flipping out and she's probably going to be calling your mom a thousand times tonight. I don't do sleepovers...like ever, and the doctor kind of freaked her out."

"What did he say? I thought you were ok...I mean, considering…"

"He said that he was shocked I didn't have a relapse. My mom pretty much took that as "she can collapse at any minute"."

"Grace you don't have to stay the night…"

"I want to...I don't think I'd be alright being alone tonight. Today...it changed a lot."

The blonde sighed, "I know what you mean...come on, let's go sit down."

"Sounds good to me."

Maya led the way as Grace trailed behind, "And you were calling me slow?" the blonde teased. Grace shot Maya a glaring look as she settled herself next to her on the couch. "How are you feeling? I mean physical pain aside…"

"Weird. I don't know, my whole life I've been told that death could be just around the corner, but when we were on that bus...I wasn't ready yet. I feel like my life just started." She let out a deep sigh, "It scared me shitless."

Maya nodded in response, gently rubbing her hand on the girls back, "I don't know how a couple seconds could change everything so drastically...but it did."

"Yeah...did you hear about Tristan?"

Maya's heart stopped. Amidst all the chaos of the day, she nearly forgot that there was a whole bus of people in the accident. She couldn't remember seeing Tristan afterwards, as people were being piled into ambulances. She could barely remember her own ride to the hospital. The blonde felt horrible realizing that a person who had once been so integral to her life could be so overlooked. She remembered him on the bus, being his cheerful self, but she couldn't remember him after the crash. It was all so foggy now.

"No, no I didn't," she spoke softly.

"He's...he's not doing ok. He's in critical condition."

"How do you know?"

"Zoe. She called me."

"Oh my god, I feel like a terrible person. I just assumed...I just, I thought everyone was ok. How did I not know about this?"

"Don't, no one did. There was so much going on. Everyone was so caught up in everything, Miles and Zoe got a call from Tristan's mom."

"Crap."

"What?"

"I got a call from a random number before, that was probably her. I feel awful, I should have been there. I should have found him."

Grace shook her head in response, "Maya, they weren't letting him have any visitors, they had to do emergency surgery."

Maya went silent, searching desperately for a single functional thought, "Is he going to be ok?" She felt her body go tense as her eyes filled with tears.

"They don't know."

And that's when Maya broke down.

Being back home had been a strange adjustment for Zig. It didn't feel real. After spending nearly a year and half away, walking into his old apartment somehow made him feel like a kid again. It was almost frightening. It was as if he had been transported to a time he'd long forgotten, one where things were simpler and the world didn't feel as though it were pressed hard against his shoulders. But then reality would set in, and it all felt oddly bittersweet. He was distracted from his thoughts when his mother entered the room.

"Are you sure you'll be alright tonight?"

"Ma, I'm sure."

"How are you feeling?"

"Well...my leg's still broken, my ribs are still fractured, and these scars seem to be getting worse. But other than that, I'm alive." The woman's face dropped. "I'm just joking around...I'm gonna be ok."

"I thought I lost you." She spoke softly, sitting herself next to him on the couch. "All that time...you shouldn't have been on your own. If you...if anything happened to you," her voice cracked, "I would have missed so much."

Zig realized his mother was no longer talking about the accident. "You did what you had to."

"No, I turned my back on my son. I hurt him. You were so alone…"

"Ma, you're here now...that's all that matters."

"I just wish I could believe it." She spoke as tears escaped her eyes, taking her son's hand into her own and placing a gentle kiss. "Molim vas da mi oprostite…"

"Please don't cry...I forgave you the minute you came back into my life. I'm so grateful for that. I know things aren't like they were...but they will be. I really believe that. Volim te."

"I love you too my son...so much," she sniffled.

"We'll be alright."

She looked up at him, "You'll be alright. All this pain...you'll be better for it. You're a strong boy- well man now..." she chuckled. "Maybe that's why you're always missing sleeves. Do young men today not wear sleeves?"

"Ma…" he laughed. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too Zigmund."

Zig released a deep breath, after weeks of short and often cold interactions with his mother, he was glad to know that they were finally in a good place. It was frightening how a near death experience could bring people together, whilst tearing them apart. Although Zig felt secure at home, he knew his scars were nowhere near ready to heal, and part of him wondered if they'd ever be...


	3. Science vs. Romance

Zig carefully shifted against his crutches, gently leaning over to ring the doorbell. He was in extreme pain, and he didn't want to show it. As much as he prefered being in bed, he had to see his friends. He needed to know that things were going to be ok. The young man suddenly felt his heart stop as Margaret Matlin revealed herself from behind the door. In an instant, his physical suffering felt insignificant. It was as if he'd seen a ghost. The woman who he had once perceived to be that of a second mother, now welcomed him with an unfamiliar and gutting coldness. Somewhere deep inside, he knew her daughter would someday be able to forgive him, but the idea that things may never be the same with her mother absolutely destroyed him. The woman's love and approval was all he had when he was at his worst, but now, when he somehow felt even lower, she couldn't look him in the eyes, and he didn't blame her for that. He deserved all of it.

"Grace and Tiny are in the living room," she spoke shortly.

"Where's Maya?"

"She needed a break," her voice softened slightly, "she's not doing too well, I'm sure she'll be down in a minute."

"Oh-ok, I'm sorry." His heart sunk at the woman's words. It killed him to know that Maya was hurting. As Zig was about to make his way to the living room, the woman stopped him.

"Zig! I...I just want to say thank you, Maya told me what you did."

"Oh uh yeah, it was no big deal...just instinct I guess."

She shook her head, "No, it wasn't. You didn't have to go back for her."

He stared back at the woman, his mouth slightly ajar. "But I did…" The pair exchanged a knowing glance. There was a moment before either found the nerve to speak up.

The blonde was the first to break, bowing her head to the ground, "Zig...if you need anything...I'm just across the hall."

With that she left, allowing Zig to breathe a long awaited sigh of relief.

Suddenly, the pain wasn't as bad.

Just as he began to turn around, he heard Tiny's voice.

"Ay look who decided to show up…" he approached him slowly, his arm was in a cast and his face was heavily bruised, and yet somehow, his signature smile was still in check. "Man, you look like shit."

Zig chuckled, "I hate to break it to you Tiny...but you aren't looking too good yourself."

"Are you kidding? This is the best I've looked in years. Chicks dig a man in a cast."

"I take it Shay responded nicely to the new gear?"

"You might say that," he smirked.

"Can you two idiots shut up for two minutes!"

"Jeez Grace, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Zig teased as he slowly made his way to the love seat next to the couch, wincing as he made contact with the material.

"Not the wrong side of the bed, but I did almost die…we all did," she grumbled. "Sorry, things have just been really...tense."

"You should've seen Maya man…"

"Tiny!"

"What?" he shrugged.

"I really don't think she'd appreciate you going around sharing what went down before."

"It's Zig! The guy's seen her naked!"

"Tiny!" Grace slapped him gently on the knee.

"What? I didn't think it would be a big deal?"

Zig went numb, completely blocking out his surroundings. His heart began to race, as his mind was consumed with thoughts of what they could possibly be hiding from him. "What happened? Is she hurt?"

"No, no Zig, she just had a really bad anxiety attack. She's just resting for a bit. I kind of figured she'd talk to you about it on her own terms. Not via Tiny's often unreliable and overly sensationalized mouth," she shot the boy a glaring look, "sorry we freaked you out. She's gonna be alright."

"O-ok."

The room quickly fell silent before Tiny spoke up, "Did you hear about Tristan?"

Zig shook his head in response, "No, what?"

"He's not doing so great. They had to do emergency surgery...he hasn't woken up."

"Shit." Suddenly Zig understood how triggered Maya must have been. Her biggest fear was losing people, and although she and Tristan were no longer close, he knew that Maya put all of her heart into her friendships, even the forgotten ones. Her walls were caving, and his heart was breaking for her. He didn't want to see her fall apart again.

"I'm back, you can stop talking about me now," Maya suddenly appeared, slowly making her way into the living room, "oh...hey Zig."

"Hey." His heart dropped as he took in her appearance, her eyes were red and her hair unkempt- she'd clearly just stopped crying. He hated seeing her like this, it absolutely killed him.

"Sorry, I had some stuff I needed to do." Zig was surprised when she moved to sit next to him.

He nodded his head in response, accepting that she wasn't ready to discuss the recent events. "It's ok, you just missed Tiny's dumb jokes."

The young man sat up in response, "Hey! I think they're pretty quality!"

Maya chuckled lightly, "Did he tell you the one about the oysters?"

Zig shook his head, "No, I happened to miss that one."

Tiny's face brightened, "Ok, so...why don't oysters give to charity?"

"I don't know, why?"

"Because they're shellfish."

Zig began to laugh, "Oh my god."

"See it's funny!" Tiny said, turning to Grace.

"No Tiny," Zig chuckled, "it's so stupid."

Suddenly, they all erupted into laughter.

They felt safe.

A few hours had past before anyone managed to fall asleep. Zig must had been the first to drift off, as the young man's last memory was the sound of Tiny and Grace bickering over the remote. He slowly peeled himself up from the pull out couch he shared with Tiny, slowly scanning the room as he reached for his crutches. There was one person missing.

Maya couldn't sleep. The blonde sat at the kitchen island, strumming her fingers against its surface as her mind began to race. She had no desire to do anything, but sit and replay the day's events over and over again in her head. After almost 3 hours, she had accepted the fact that sleep was no longer an option. She was going to suffer. Just as she moved to grab a drink of water, she heard a familiar sound against the tile floor.

"Mom I- oh Zig. You...you sounded like my mom."

"Sorry to disappoint," his eyebrows furrowed, "you ok?"

Maya nodded her head, turning slightly away from the boy's gaze.

"You're a terrible liar."

"Well, what did you expect me to say?" she grumbled as she walked away, settling herself at the kitchen table.

"I don't really know..."

"Everyone always asks if you're ok when they know you're not," Maya sighed, "it's such a waste of time. It's four in the morning, you don't have to play psychologist with me Zig."

"Wouldn't be the first time..." he spoke softly, making his way to her side, wincing slightly as he sat.

"I guess you're right about that one." Maya's face twisted into a subtle grin, recalling back to the nights when he lived with her; where he'd stay in her room for what felt like hours, easing her fears until she'd finally sleep. She'd almost forgotten how good he was until it all fell apart.

"So do you want to talk about it?" he leaned in, gently placing his hand over her own.

"Yes...and no." she sighed, "I've been thinking about it non-stop today. I could use a distraction…" she chuckled, turning her head to face him. Her face dropped slightly, realizing how close they were. She thought of moving in closer. With all the stress she'd been feeling, his lips became more and more inviting. She knew it would be a stupid mistake, but she was so sick of her emotions. The idea of a physical distraction, even if it were just momentary, sounded like paradise. Without even realizing it, her face was just a mere centimeters away from his own. Just before Maya could even register her thoughts...or her actions, Zig quickly lifted himself from the chair.

"I ugh, I'm gonna grab something to drink, do you want anything?" he practically spat out. Just as she was about to respond, his foot got stuck and he came tumbling to the ground, yelping as his leg hit the floor. "Shit!"

"Oh my god Zig! Are you ok?" she spoke, practically hopping over to his side.

"I-I don't know...it's really bad Maya." he could barely make out between shaky breaths.

"I'm going to get my mom. We need to get you to the hospital."

"Maya..." he let out a staggered breath, reaching up to grab her hand. "you're not gonna leave me? I don't want to go by myself...I can't."

Her heart was breaking, instinctively, she placed a gentle kiss on his hand. "They're going to have to rip me from your side."


	4. Give A Little Love

There he was. In a matter of hours, Zig Novak had found himself in the very spot he'd swear he'd never be again. The fluorescent lights flickered as he waited for the doctor to return. After a series of X-rays and scans, his anxiety had reached an excruciating level. He knew it was a stupid thought, but for a moment he wondered if they'd just cut the thing off? He had never been in so much pain in his life. Even after a large dosage of pain medications, he felt like he was dying. Maybe he was? He didn't even know anymore.

The one saving grace in everything was Maya. The blonde sat patiently on the seat next to him, drawing lazy circles on his hand with her thumb. She was what kept reminding him to breathe.

"My mom was wondering if you want a magazine or something? She went down to get some water right before they brought you in here."

"I'm ok." He spoke softly.

She nodded her head in response. "You're mom said she'll be over in a bit."

"Where are Tiny and Grace?"

"Grace's mom picked them up."

Zig nodded in response. He went silent, but after a few moments he finally sighed, "I'm sorry I was a dumbass and forgot to use my crutches. You shouldn't be stuck in here at four in the morning."

She shook her head, "Don't. I wasn't going to sleep anyway. But if there is one brightside in all of this, I did get that distraction I wanted…" she chuckled.

Zig's mind began to race, recounting the events from earlier. He knew he was probably imagining things, but for a moment, he thought Maya was flirting with him. He could still remember the feeling of her breath against his lips, just as she began to lean in closer. Maybe the accident was making him insane too. "About that, Maya-" Before he could finish his sentence, the door to the room opened.

"Oh I'm sorry." The woman spoke up, realizing she had entered during a personal moment.

He shifted up as much as he could, "It's ok."

She made her way over to his bedside, "You must be Zig Novak, Dr. Bunch referred me to you, I'm Dr. Wallace," the woman reached out to shake his hand. "And you must be his girlfriend," she turned to take Maya's hand.

Zig's heart raced, "Oh we- we're not…we're…"

"We're just friends." Maya smiled. Zig searched for any bit of skepticism on the blonde's face, there was none. It felt strange to hear her call them friends again, after all they'd been through. A year ago it would have been so normal, but after over six months of dating and a terrible breakup, the word felt almost foreign. Although it hurt him to know they were no longer together, the pain in his chest softened when it finally registered: she didn't hate him anymore.

"Oh I'm sorry, I just figured…" she drifted off, "anyway, I'm sure you want to know what's going on with your leg."

"That would be great."

"Ok so, we looked over the X-rays and I have to say I was shocked. It seems that part of the fracture from earlier was greatly aggravated by the recent impact. There also seems to have been a slight tear in your knee cap, luckily, the damage isn't too great that you'll need replacement surgery, that being said, we do think a procedure will need to be done on your leg."

"You won't have to cut it off right?" Zig chuckled awkwardly.

The woman laughed, "No, but you may be out of commission for quite some time."

His face dropped, "How long? I'm supposed to be working with a dance troupe this summer."

"At least four months, most patients don't recover till around six. I'm sorry, we'll try to assist you the best we can, but it's not going to be easy. Injuries like this take time."

Zig felt furious. He knew he was stupid to think things could possibly get better. He didn't deserve happiness; he just wasn't one of those people. He was destined to mess up every good thing he'd ever have. Dance was supposed to be his first step in bettering himself, now he didn't even know when he'd be able to get back up again.

Maya reached over to grab his hand, "You'll be ok."

As kind as the gesture was, his gut told him something different. He was worthless, and time after time he'd proven that. How could things possibly improve? He was a perpetual screw up, and in a couple weeks she'd want nothing to do with him.

It wouldn't be the first time.

-

Maya stared up at her ceiling, as her heart pounded against her chest. She wanted so desperately to just shut her eyes and drift off, but she couldn't. Everything hurt. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of thoughts, and not a single one was functional. She was weak. She needed a distraction, something to keep her mind from venturing back to these dark places. Reaching for her phone, she only thought of one name that could help her.

\+ Hey, you up?

Maya watched as the screen immediately shifted, as three magical dots appeared. She had never been more happy to see an ellipsis. Zig responded instantly, causing her to release a sigh of relief.

\- Yeah, you ok?

\+ I'm alive. Could we maybe talk on the phone?

Within a few short moments, Maya's phone went off.

"Hey."

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

Maya sighed, "Like death. But on the plus side, I've officially mastered reciting the alphabet backwards in my head. That was a good distraction for a bit," she let out a small chuckle, "How are you?"

"About the same, minus the alphabet thing. I think this accident has actually killed most of the few brain cells I had left. I can't even think anymore."

"I wish I had that problem. Want to trade?"

"Not really," he laughed, "for once I'm grateful for my inability to maintain a single functional thought."

"You really need to stop beating yourself up."

He let out a deep breath, "I guess I just can't help it. I feel so stupid. Who manages to break their leg twice in one day?"

"You're not stupid, and one of those times you managed to save my life...thanks for that by the way."

"I didn't do it to be a hero or anything. I just acted...there was no thinking."

"Well, it was pretty damn brave."

There was a moment before Zig spoke up, "I'm going in for surgery tomorrow..."

"Are you scared?"

"Shitless."

Maya fidgeted with the blanket below her, "I'm sorry you have to deal with all of this."

He sighed, "Ditto. Today was the worst."

"Yeah. Can we just pretend it didn't happen for a bit?"

"I'd like that."

Maya grinned, "So...have you been watching Game of Thrones?"

"I mean...duh. Who do you think I am?"

The pair continued to chat until Zig finally heard the sound of Maya drifting off. He didn't want her to know he'd been fast asleep when she texted him, that his body nearly shot up from the bed when he saw her name on the screen…or the extreme pain that followed. None of that mattered. Zig Novak had never been more grateful for a sleepless night in his entire life.


End file.
